Refrigerator cabinet construction



Nov. 4, 1941. v w. R. HOWARD REFRIGERATOR CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed March 17,..1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w; R. HOWARD REFRIGERATOR CABINET CONSTRUCTION Patented Nov. 4, 1941 I Q I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Q 2,261,882 REFRIGERATOR'CABINET cons'rauc'rron Wallace Ray Howard, Connersville, Ind., assignor,"

' by mes'ne assignments, to-ReconstructionFinancc Corporation, Chicago, Ill-., a corporation of the United States Application March 17, 1938, Serial No. 196,569 4 Claims. (01. 220- 15) e 1 This invention relates to refrigerator body conthe present invention, the outer shell may be struction, and is primarily concerned with refrigassumed as comprising a unitary wall structure erator bodies of the "all steel type wherein made up in any manner desired. woodwork around the door casing is in whole or Between the inner liner and outer shell 6 in part eliminated. 5 suitable insulation material 1 is provided; The invention has in view the provision of The present invention is primarily concerned means in a refrigerator cabinet for supporting with'the casing or door jamb construction of the the food compartment, or inner liner which decabinet. The inner liner 5 is preferably formed fines the food compartment, in a simple yet duradjacent the door opening with an outtumed able and thermally efilcient manner. More spe- 0 portion 8, which terminates in an angular flange cifically stated, the invention contemplates the comprising the wall 9 and free edge iii, the latter construction of a refrigerator cabinet wherein providing in effect part of the door casing.

the outer shell or casing and the inner food com-' The outer shell. 6 terminates in an inturned partment or liner terminate in'spaced edge porfree edge flange II; and secured to this flange is tions around the door opening, or adjacent the a supporting bracket l2, note the detail view in door jamb portion of the cabinet, and means are Fig. 5, the bracket having a hanger lug I241 provided for connecting these walls one to the formed thereon which is slotted as at l2b. This other including a simplified yet attractive trim, bracket may be fabricated from steel or any other molding or breaker strip assembly whereby the metal or material of such gauge and strength as liner is firmly supported in position in the cabwill properly support the food compartment. In inet without utilizing the conventional casing the form shown in Fig. 3, bracket I2 is welded to structure while at the same time obtaining maxithe flange II, but it may be secured thereto by. mum thermal insulating efficiency and simplifyother suitable means. 7 ing and economizing in the cabinet construction A-combined support and acer member i3 isgenerally and expediting the assembling opera- 5 connected to each of said brackets l2 throu h t tion, the latter feature being an important factor medium of a neckedor grooved portion I301 which I in the modern volume-production type of body engages in the slot l2b of the hanger lug l2a.

plant. The opposite end of the supporting spacer abuts In the drawings: y I the inturned wall 9 and is tapped or bored to Fig. l is a view in front elevation of a refrigerreceive a screw ll provided with a sealing washer ator cabinet constructed in accordance with the l5. This combined support and spacer may be features of the present invention; made from any suitable fibrous or like material Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken having a low coemcient of heat conductivity, such substantially on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; as mallet rubber or red fiber and it may be of Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal fifi suitable shape, its'form as illustrated in Fig sectional view taken through the door' ja'mb or 3 and4 being rod-shaped. v casing portion of the cabinet; A breaker strip I8 overlies the space between Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elethe free edge flanges I0 and H of the liner 5 vation and partly br ken away of the door jamb; and outer shell 5, respectively, said strip being Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of. a sup- -10 detachably mounted through the medium of coporting bracket; acting combined retainer and trim members IT Figs. 6 to 12, inclusive; are views similar to and "a. These members I! and "a, in the form Figs. 3 and 5 of modifications in structure. shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are each formed with Referring to the drawings in detail, the refriga return or hook flange .I'Ib which is hooked over erator cabinet is generally indicated at C, the the edge of its, coacting flange, and the trim poriood compartment F and the door at D. The tion of each of the members l1 and l'l'a is formedfood compartment F is defined by a liner 5 which with a receiving slot or channel l'lc adapted to is generally of sheet metal having an enameled engage over one of the edges of the breaker inner surface. An outer shell 6, also 'of sheet strip l6. x

metal, forms the exterior wall of the cabinet, and ince the food comp rtment or liner 5 is supin the example shown said shell is made u of ported wholly at the front of the cabinet by the side panels and a back panel suitably secured to bracket and spacer construction above described, said side panels, the latter being extended and the trim and breaker strips used may be of relaresting on suitable base members oistructural tively thin material, with the result that heat work, not shown. However. for the purposes of conductivity from the inner to" the outer wall casing or jamb is such is indicated at breaker strip and combined retaining and strips may be the same as in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 adapted to receive .the flange I I members is materially The combined retaining and trim strips I1 and I'Ia may be made of thin sheet metal such as stainless steel,

necessary to hookthe supporting spacers II in the slots I2b, applythe screws I4, and when the edges of the flanges II and are brought together, install the breaker strip with; its coacting trim and retainer members.- It will be seen that the shape of the liner as it approaches the door as to facilitate access to the screws id.

Fig. 8 shows a modification in the structure of the supporting brackets and coacting spacers. In this instance, each of the supporting brackets II, note the detail view in Fig. 8, and is formed with a hanger portion or lug 'I8a having a screw is passed through a central bore formed through a spacer 20. In this takes the brunt of the hanging stresses and the member 20 serves purely as a spacer. The trim and have the same reference characters applied thereto.

Fig. 7 shows substantially the same construction as in Fig. 6, except that the breaker strip II has its one edge-secured means of screws 2|, the opposite edge of the breaker strip engaging in the channel of the 11, the inturned flange n of a member Ila.

. In Figs. 9, and

22 shown in detail in Fig. 11, the hanger portion oi said bracket being formed with a slot 221:

the neck portion 23,01 a combined supporting and spacing member-24 having at its one end an inturned portion or boss 25 adapted to engage over a right-angle flange formed on the screw 21- is passed through the free, edge ofthe flange 26 and engages the combined spacer and support 24 to hold the latter ininterlocking relation with the flange 28. The breaker strip in this instance is indicated at 2| and may be of the conventional type and is secured to the supporting spacer member II by means of screws 2! with a spacer It interposed betweenthe breaker strip and said member.

Fig. 12 shows a further modification wherein has secured thereto brackets II. Spacers 33 are each arranged with opposite ends in abutting relation to the flange II and wall 9 of liner! and secured in position by means of screws 34 and 38. The breaker strip in this instance is engaged at its inner edge in a combined retainer and trim member which may be similarto those heretofore described and at its outer edge is secured in position against the flange I I by means of'screws 32. In this instance also, the breaker strip may be made of relatively thin'mat'erial' since it performs no supporting function nor is it subjected to any stresses or strains which might cause breakage thereof during service.

From the foregoing it will be seen that theouter and inner walls of the cabinet are securely held in spaced relation with the inner liner or food compartment supported from the outer shell at the .front of the cabinet by combined spacing threaded hole therein adapted toreceive the threaded end of a screw bolt I 9, which against the flange II by' instance, the screw bolt I9 ginai edge portions inwardly of said flanges,

the outer shell I has secured thereto a bracket" edge portion of the liner I. A

ginal edge and supporting members which are simple in construction and thermally eflicient. This construction also provides for comparative ease of removal of the inner liner whenever necessary, and it also results in ease and expedition in the assembling operation. It should be noted that the free flanged edges of the inner linerand outer shell are well braced with from said liner, said liner and shell having spaced marginal edge portionsterminating in flanges projecting inwardly toward one another about the door opening, a plurality of liner supporting and spacer members formed of insulating material positioned transversely between the said marhanger brackets for said members connected to the flanged edge of the shell, said brackets each being provided with an open recess and each of said members being formed with a necked portion detachably'engaging in said recess, the inner end of each of said members abutting the marginal portions of the liner, means accessible from the interior of the food compartment for securing the inner end of each member to the liner, 9. breaker strip overlying the space between said flanges, and hook-shape members engaging the opposite edges of the breaker strip and said flanges for detachably connecting the breaker strip to the flanges.

2.111 a refrigerator cabinet having an inner liner deflning a food compartment with a door opening and an outer shell spaced and insulated from said liner, marginal edge portions terminating in flanges projecting inwardly towards one another about the door opening, a plurality of liner supporting and spacer terial positioned transversely between the marportions inwardly of said flanges, each of said members having the outer end thereof formed with a grooved or necked portion and the inner end thereof abutting the marginal portion of the liner, 9. series of hanger brackets each connected to the flange of the outer shell and having an open slot in which the neck end of each of said members engages, means accessible from the food compartment for detachably connecting the opposite end of each of said members to the liner, and a breaker strip detachably connected to said flanges and overlying the spacebetween the latter.

3. In a refrigerator cabinet having an inner wall providing a food compartment liner with a door opening and an outer wall spaced and insubrackets and said-members being constructed for respect to one another and that these flanges form a'flrm support'for said liner and shell having spaced members formed of insulating ma-.

releasable inter-connecting engagement one with the other and whereby said members may be hung from the brackets without the use ofscrews or like fastenings, said members projecting from their hanger brackets to the opposite wall and engaging the latter holding said walls in definite spaced relation, means securing each of said members to said opposite wall, a breaker strip overlying the space between said flanges, and means detachably' mounting said breaker strip.

4. In a refrigerator cabinet having'an inner wall providing a food compartment liner with a door opening and an outer wall spaced and insulated from said inner well, said Walls having spaced marginal edge portions terminating in flanges projecting inwardly'toward one another l about the door opening, a plurality of liner supinner wall, and a breaker strip overlying the space between said flanges and detachably connected to the latter. i

- WALLACE RAY HOWARD. 

